True Love's Kiss
by Dara Tavar
Summary: Jean-Bob wants to confess his love to Odette before Derek saves her, as he knows the prince will. With his heart breaking, he tells her how he feels and that soon she'll be happy with Derek. Derek can save her, and Jean-Bob knows his kiss won't heal her...right?


**Okay, so this is my first Swan Princess story-I had the movie in while I was doing some work, and got the idea for this story. Of course, I just HAD to write it before I forgot anything. But, it is short, so that's okay. Plus, I haven't had time for writing in a while and it feels good just to do something, even if it is really short like this. Anyways, I'll shut up now and let you read. Enjoy!**

**DT  
**

* * *

_**True**_** Love's Kiss**

Derek looked down at the cheering creatures at his feet, his lips just starting to turn up in a smile, before another thought hit him. He spun about, her name a worried whisper on his lips, but froze before ever taking a step forward—because there, with Odette's head held in his fragile green arms, was the frog she'd called Jean-Bob. His small face was awash with fear and pain as he cradled her lovingly, a tear forming in his golden-brown eyes.

"Odette, my love," he whispered. He'd always been so selfish, only thinking of himself, but no, with her in his arms and the knowledge that her life was fading fast, he knew more than ever it had always just been a way for him to try and distance himself from her, to keep at least a piece of his heart. But he'd failed miserably. He was completely in love with a woman who loved another. And now, it was time to tell her, before she was gone forever, completely out of his reach.

Her eyes fluttered open and she stared up at him weakly. "Jean-Bob?" she whispered questioningly, uncertain about what he was doing.

"I love you, Odette. I have from the moment I met you, and I always will," he told her, his heart breaking at the words. "I want you to know, I hope you and Derek are happy together, because he'll find a way to save you. And I will always be here for you, as your green, web-footed friend."

"But, if you're kissed," she began, but he cut her off.

"Only your kiss will break my spell, and I give all of it up for you to be happy, my love," he promised. She was the most precious thing in the world to him. Nothing meant more than her happiness. And if he had to give up everything, including his chances of becoming a prince again, he would do it—all for her.

Slowly, weakly, her lips curled in a smile. "I still owe you a kiss, Jean-Bob."

He blinked, surprised, before shaking his head. "No, Odette. No kingdom is worth you, or any amount or riches or women or anything else this world would have to offer me." He lifted one hand to touch her face gently, as if he were afraid he might hurt her. "Derek is your true love, and only his kiss will help you. Mine might do more harm than good. Besides, there is no point in my being human if you're not there to share that life with me. The spell…"

"Please, Jean-Bob."

"Odette," he replied, torn between what to do. She'd told him before that she could only kiss her true love while under the spell—and she was still under it. Plus, she'd told him that Prince Derek was her one, true love. His kiss would only ruin her chances of being saved. But she was also asking him to, and if this was what she wanted, how could he deny her?

"Jean-Bob," she told him weakly, half-opened eyes staring into his. "Kiss me. Please."

He sighed, knowing he was going to give in to her.

The other watched as Jean-Bob leaned down, Odette's eyes slipping closed as the frog pressed his lips against hers in a sweet, chaste kiss. The moment their lips touched, a shimmering fog began to swirl around the two, the light blocking out the view of them.

As the mist faded away, the onlookers were shocked by what they saw.

Odette felt his lips pull away from hers, and she found that she missed their warm caress. His strong arms held her and he cradled her against his broad, strong chest. Suddenly, she opened her eyes, only to gasp in shock. "Jean-Bob?" she whispered, staring up at the strange face above her. A slow but sad smile pulled at his lips, but his eyes never left her face.

When she looked into those dark golden-brown eyes, though they were set in a face she'd never laid eyes on before, she knew them better than anyone else's. They were the eyes of her best friend, of the person who'd been by her side through the toughest years of her life, of the one who had pledged his love to her, and proven it, time and time again even when she said she loved another. They were the eyes of the person who had risked his life several times to keep her safe, even when she'd been consumed with the thought of seeing another…but mostly, they were the eyes of the person who she truly love—more than anything else on earth.

She'd never really believed him before, about his being under a spell as well, but he'd not been lying to her. He really was a prince.

She examined him now, for the first time in his human form, and found that he must truly be a prince. While there was no crown on his head, his clothes were well made and revealed his state of wealth.

Her eyes turned from his garb to that face. His hair was jet black, a lock falling across his forehead and into his ever-familiar eyes. His face was strong and clean shaven. He was also the most handsome man she'd ever laid eyes on. Even more so than Derek, which she would have thought impossible before seeing Jean-Bob as he was now.

Slowly, finding that her strength was quickly returning to her, she lifted one hand to brush the hair from his eyes. This caused a sadness to touch his eyes that she hadn't expected. There was also joy there, mixing with that sad pain. He took her hand and pressed a soft kiss to her palm.

He signed then, his fingertips brushing her cheek as gentle as before, but with so much more strength behind them now. "Ah, my love," he whispered, his French accent even more pronounced in his human form that it had been when he was a frog. "You have restored me as I always knew you would. But now, my moment with you is at an end." The pain in his eyes revealed how much this was breaking his heart.

Jean-Bob looked to Derek, motioning for him to come forward. His eyes then returned to Odette's face. "Be happy with the man. He will care for you and love you as I wish I could. I will love you from afar, but I will never get in the way of your happiness. Not for anything."

He started to pull away from her, to give Derek the space to come in and hold her, but she stopped him. He also noticed that Derek hadn't moved forward, but had remained standing. Looking down at her, he frowned in confusion.

"Odette, what is it?" he asked, touching the hand that held his arm where it was.

Odette sat up and pressed her hand to his cheek, smiling at Jean-Bob. "It wasn't Derek who broke the curse, Jean-Bob. It was you," she whispered, sending a glance over his shoulder.

Jean-Bob glanced in the direction her eyes had turned, looking over his shoulder. The last of the moon's rays had left the lake and now the sun was there to take its place. If she were still under the spell, she would have turned into a swan by now. His wide eyes turned back to her in shock. "But, you said Derek was…"

She stopped him from saying anything else by pressing her fingers to his lips, a light laugh escaping her. "I thought Derek was my true love, but I was wrong. He was here with me the whole time, and I just couldn't see it, because I was so blinded by what I thought was right. You are my true love, Jean-Bob. You always have been." With that, she leaned in and pressed her lips to his.

No bright lights surrounded the couple this time to signify the breaking of their curses, but there might as well have been. To their friends watching them, the two shone brightly from their love to make up for the lack of light during this kiss. _True_ love's kiss.

* * *

**Okay, I would just like to say to anyone who might think of complaining about my coupling, I've never really been a fan of the idea of Odette not being with Derek (though Derek makes me want to smack him a couple times for being so vain in the beginning, I do like him and he obviously loves Odette for more reasons than her beauty-at least by the end of the movie)...I do like the idea of Jean-Bob being with someone-and that someone just happened to be Odette in this story. I've been trying to do stories with couples who I don't automatically put together (ones that I think just belong together) just to see if I can write a good story with characters I don't normally see together. Well, let me know how I did in a review! Thanks!  
**

**DT  
**


End file.
